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Sarah Elizabeth Henry “Lizzie” Billups Gayle

Birth	:	28 Mar 1824 Mathews County, Virginia, USA
Death	:	13 Dec 1896 Mathews County, Virginia, USA
Burial	:	Gayle Burying Ground, Pribble, Mathews County, USA
Description	:	Joshua Gayle married Elizabeth Sarah Henry Billups (called "Lizzie") on March 23, 1848. Lizzie was the eldest daughter of Robert Billups and Elizabeth Smith and was born on March 28, 1824 in Mathews County. Lizzie, herself, had been raised on the property now known as "Green Mansion", near North Post Office. Her brother, Robert Seth Shepard Billups (1835-1871) was a major during the Civil War in the 61st Regiment of the Virginia 9th Militia, a pre-existing Mathews County militia regiment that was one of only a handful of Virginia militia regiments that retained its identity when... Read More	Joshua Gayle married Elizabeth Sarah Henry Billups (called "Lizzie") on March 23, 1848. Lizzie was the eldest daughter of Robert Billups and Elizabeth Smith and was born on March 28, 1824 in Mathews County. Lizzie, herself, had been raised on the property now known as "Green Mansion", near North Post Office. Her brother, Robert Seth Shepard Billups (1835-1871) was a major during the Civil War in the 61st Regiment of the Virginia 9th Militia, a pre-existing Mathews County militia regiment that was one of only a handful of Virginia militia regiments that retained its identity when called up to active state service and then transferred to Confederate service early in the war. Her youngest brother, Thomas George Billups, a physician, inherited "Green Mansion" and raised his large family of ten children there. Thomas G. Billups' youngest daughter, Virginia, married Stanley Walker and that family will be discussed in the White section of this book. Lizzie's mother, Elizabeth Smith Billups, was born in 1801 to Sands Smith and Elizabeth Armistead, daughter of John and Ann Armistead (John was the brother of Rebecca Armistead who married Isaac Davis, discussed in the Anderton section. I tell you, if you look hard enough, everyone in Mathews was/is related!!!. Elizabeth's brother, Sands Smith, Jr., was the unfortunate Mathews citizen who was dragged and then hanged by Union Soldiers in 1863. Both of Lizzie's parents are buried in Goshen Cemetery, near Milford Haven, where the Billups family originally settled. Perhaps a little background on the Billups family would be interesting and appropriate at this point -- and hopefully, not too confusing. George Billups was born in 1630 at Milford Haven, Wales and immigrated to Gloucester around 1650. He was granted many acres of land for transporting colonists to Virginia, at the rate of 50 acres per person. His original grant consisted of 750 acres, near Moon, in the area of Kingston Parish (now Mathews County) on a body of water called Milford Haven (presumably named for the area of Wales from which he had immigrated). A descendent, James O. Billups and his wife, Marie, moved into the old house (Milford, built 1663) in the 1970's. The acreage has dwindled over the years to 106 acres. James O. died a few years ago and Marie lived alone in the "new" wing of Milford -- as late as 2001. When I visited her (along with two cousins) in August 2001, she was very gracious and invited us to return when she was able to get around better (she had just had a hip replacement) so that she could show us the old part of the house. She is a very vivacious, intense 86 year-old and entertained us for an hour with her stories. Cousin Mary Braxton Billups Hudgins accompanied me on my visit to Marie Billups. Mary Braxton grew up in Mathews Courthouse and is descended from Robert S. S. Billups, another of Lizzie's brothers. George Billups married Sarah (----) in 1655 and they had three sons: George Billups, Jr. (born 1657); John (born 1660), and Richard (died 1752). Lizzie's father, Robert, was descended from George, Jr, through his son, John (born 1685) and grandson, Robert. This earlier Robert Billups married Elizabeth Eddens, daughter of John and Susannah Eddens. Seven children were born to this marriage: John (1759), Christopher (July 31, 1763), Susannah (1769), Elizabeth Cary (born 1772), Robert (1774), George (1776) and Mary. Christopher Billups married Sarah Scarborough Williams and Robert (who married Elizabeth Smith and was father of Elizabeth Sarah "Lizzie" Billups, Joshua Gayle's wife) was one of their ten children. Sarah Scarborough was the daughter of Samuel Williams (1725-1789) and Margaret Nottingham (died 1810), both from Northampton County, on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Samuel and Margaret came to Kingston Parish after selling their plantation "Holly Brook", on the Eastern Shore in 1774 and settled near Williams Wharf, on the northern shore of East River. Their home was what is now called "Poplar Grove", its tide mill (still standing) is said to have ground grain for the Continental Soldiers during the Revolutionary War. This property later came into the possession of the Patterson family, it being the stake in a poker game, and eventually passed by marriage into the Christopher Tompkins family. In recent times, the estate was purchased by John Lennon, of the Beatles (England's legendary rock group of the 1960's). After Lennon's death, his widow, Yoko Ono, donated the property to a New York non-profit organization, the Spirit Foundation, whom later deeded Poplar Grove to a home for boys near Saluda (in Middlesex County). The last I heard about this was that the boy's home was planning to sell the estate for capital, as they were already well situated in Saluda. Sarah Scarborough Williams was the oldest of six daughters, and had several half-brothers and sisters, as her mother was Samuel's third wife. Both the Williams and Nottingham families can be traced to the immigrant -- Michel Williams (who was born 1617 in England, immigrated in 1636, and died before December 1650 in Northampton County, Virginia) and Richard Nottingham, (born in England, immigrated in March 1658 and died in 1692 in Northampton County), respectively. Joshua died on July 10, 1876, just six months after filing his will. This might suggest that he was in poor health, as 54 was a relatively young age to be filing a will. Men who died that young and even much older back then usually died intestate (without a will). After his death, Lizzie continued to live at Edgewater, with their son, Robert, until her own death on December 13, 1896. According to her death certificate, Lizzie actually died in Norfolk of "general debility" – maybe she was visiting a relative or in the hospital. Informant on her death certificate was son, Robert Gayle.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Sarah Elizabeth Henry “Lizzie” Billups Gayle's memorial?
Sarah Elizabeth Henry “Lizzie” Billups Gayle's memorial is located at: Gayle Burying Ground, Pribble, Mathews County, USA.
When did Sarah Elizabeth Henry “Lizzie” Billups Gayle death?
Sarah Elizabeth Henry “Lizzie” Billups Gayle death on 13 Dec 1896 in Mathews County, Virginia, USA